I saw a man and his son peering through the gate of my building. A normal person might have been aggravated at the infringement of privacy, but I saw an opportunity to meet someone new, and welcome them. Turns out he had come to the building, an old clock factory, to show his son, Elijah, because it's mentioned in my neighbor Selina Alko's book. Small world. Listen in to my chat with Sam about the history of Brooklyn (my building included) and lots of interesting factoids about NYC, and thoughts...
Apr 13, 2019•14 min
I found myself late one night careening home with a lovely man from Bangladesh, whose name I'm not even sure how to spell. It was a great conversation, filled with his positive psychology about people and the world. We are, indeed, social beings, and taking the time to connect to one another, especially when we share small intimate spaces like cars, can be pretty special.
Apr 06, 2019•21 min
I heard him before I saw him, the saxophonist in the tunnel in Prospect Park. I stood there a while listening, recording the beautiful sound of the music reverberating off the walls. And then I spoke to Baba Jiwe Damudillard. He plays there, and often pulls in others to play with him. Music brings people together, all kinds of strangers. Baba Jiwe's mission is to make that happen more.
Mar 30, 2019•15 min
Maybe it was when she began "Slapping the Salami," or when she sheepishly admitted the "salami" was actually Kielbasa. Or maybe it was when (Sung) Uni Lee asked for volunteers (for a Bangers and Mash-eating contest) and talked about the importance of breaking the boundaries between performer and audience when I knew I had to go up and talk to her. In this episode, taped just after The Bushwick Book Club's medley of performances around the book "White Teeth" by Zadie Smith at Barbes, Uni and I ch...
Mar 23, 2019•18 min
In this episode, I sit down with my husband, Geordie, to discuss how we first met, and how we have morphed and changed in the two-plus decades since that moment. Marriage is a union that requires constant adaptation. It is not a license or vows that keep two people connected, it is a daily challenge to communicate your needs, listen to someone else's, and decide whether it works or not to be together. Even with a commitment to honesty and caring for one another, there are many moments of lonelin...
Mar 16, 2019•42 min
Aah, the fearlessness of loving another human! With the opening up of ourselves to another, we become vulnerable. With the great joy of love comes also great disappointment. And yet to stay closed against love, to harden our hearts...that, to me, is the greatest sadness of all. Connection is crucial. We learn so much about ourselves in the compare and contrast with another. We must learn to breathe through the pain of love, and persevere. This podcast is a meditation I recorded along with some p...
Mar 16, 2019•8 min
When I talk about strangers, I am usually referring to someone else, someone that I don't know yet, that I meet on the subway or at a party, or in a bar. But, recently, it occurred to me that I am often the stranger. And sometimes, frankly, I don't know how to talk to myself. Can I be as compassionate with myself as I can with a stranger on the street? Can I listen closely to myself? I share with others this idea, wondering how they might speak to themselves when things inside their head get...s...
Mar 08, 2019•6 min
A chat with performance artist/filmmaker Fritz Donnelly in his Williamsburg, Brooklyn studio about connecting in real time (even if, sometimes, that includes screens.) Fritz was a friend from the moment we met. I immediately appreciated the statement he was making by being A Man in Tights, and have in the ensuing years continued to admire his efforts to push people in disarming ways out of their comfort zone with his bravery and humor. Tune in!
Mar 04, 2019•1 hr 9 min
Top 5 Reasons I LOVED my trip to Jamaica: #5. Roadside jerk stands. Yum. #4. The amazing blue/green of the Caribbean Sea. #3. Hiking through the bush with Damon, our amazing machete-wielding guide who cut open almonds, guavas and gave us an incredible fish and yam lunch by Kwaaman Falls. #2. Surf lessons, jerk and ganga at Boston Bay. #1. Meeting this incredible like-minded lady, Charmaine Davis-Elliott, a self-named "Hustling Housewife" and an awesome spirit! We chatted about her beautiful bles...
Feb 25, 2019•28 min
I sat down (over the phone) with my gorgeous friend/former stranger, Joelle Provost. She has moved back to the Bay Area, where she's from, but our memories of meeting and connecting in Brooklyn are strong. It's amazing how quickly one can recognize a true kindred spirit. Joelle and I chat about how and why she makes art, and the amazing alchemy that brings people together in the world.
Feb 15, 2019•48 min
I sat down with local Park Slope artists Sean Qualls and Jonathan Blum, both artists whose amazing work I've purchased, to talk about their new collaboration. We talked about art, race, identity and who we consider our 'tribe.'
Feb 05, 2019•1 hr 10 min
Steph talks about the power of a true resolution...Sometimes, we are strangers to ourselves, and we have to tune in to figure what we want for the year ahead!
Jan 11, 2019•5 min
Steph sits down with Talking to Strangers producer/songwriter/guitarist Matt Keating in his West Village studio, Djanglewood. The conversation turns to the difference between artistic Masters and regular folk (and if there is one), and how we get good at what we do a lot - so we should be careful what we do!
Dec 13, 2018•14 min
There are some spots that are go-to places to talk to strangers. For me, Guitar Center is one of them...cool guys behind the counter always good for some interesting conversation. This trip to Guitar Center with my friend Leigh Blake, to buy an Airboard and a guitar strap for my son for Chanukah, did not disappoint. Trey Wolfe --an actor, musician, Guitar Center Guy--obliged me, and we had a lovely conversation.
Dec 05, 2018•6 min
With so many people on the subway, who to choose to talk to? The person who smiles back clearly seems the most receptive, and so it was this stranger, a lovely young woman on the F train, who Steph chose to speak with. It turns out she talks to strangers too...
Nov 27, 2018•9 min
Steph talks with another dog owner on her walk with her little pooch Ginger. It's amazing how different dogs can be in the way they interact! Just like us...
Nov 12, 2018•3 min
Ever have a great conversation with your Uber driver? Join Steph as she crosses the cultural divide in a trip from Brooklyn into New York City. Talking to Strangers is always illuminating!
Nov 12, 2018•6 min
Host Steph Thompson explains why she talks to strangers, and how Talking to Strangers helps us feel less lonely.
Nov 12, 2018•2 min
Listen to the catchy jingle (lyrics and vocal, Steph Thompson; guitar, percussion and production, Matt Keating)
Nov 12, 2018•39 sec
